HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all had a grand holiday and are ready for 2009. I wanted to share this recipe with you because it came out quite tasty. The mixture of mangos and jalapeños gave the everyday ham a tastebud sensation. And, there were plenty of left overs for sandwiches and breakfast.

May you all have a blessed new year and may all your wishes come true in 2009.

Mango Glaze
(adapted from the Washington Post, http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2007/04/04/baked-ham-fresh-ginger-mango-glaze-and-roasted-swe/ )

For the glaze:

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 cup mango nectar
4 cups sliced mango (from 6-8 medium to large mangoes)
1 -inch piece peeled ginger root, cut into thin slices
¼ cup jalapeño jelly* recipe follows
1 cinnamon stick

For the ham:

1 10-pound sugar-cured smoked ham (cooked) (I used a spiral cut ham)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:
For the glaze: Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and nectar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the mango pieces, ginger, jalapeño jelly and cinnamon stick. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mango is quite soft and the liquid is thick and bubbling. Let cool to room temperature.
Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a stainless-steel or glass (nonreactive) bowl. Discard the pulp. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

For the ham: Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Have ready a large shallow roasting pan.
Rinse the ham under cool running water to remove the solution and sticky residue (because it will burn) and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub the allspice and cloves into the meat. Place the ham in the pan and bake for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.

About 25 minutes before the ham has finished cooking, brush the top and sides evenly with the mango glaze. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees; the glaze will be bubbly.
Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the ham into slices. Transfer to a warm platter and serve immediately with more glaze alongside.

Jalapeño Pepper Jelly

1 large green pepper, cut into quarters
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and ribs removed
6 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups cider vinegar
½ of a 6 ounce package (1 foil pouch) liquid fruit pectin
Several drops green food coloring (optional)

Finely chop green pepper and jalapeño peppers. In a 4 ½ quart Dutch oven, combine chopped peppers, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stirring often, about 15 minutes or until pepper mixture turns transparent.
Stir in pectin; add food coloring. Return to full rolling boil; boil, uncovered, 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Pour at once into hot, sterilized half-pint jars; seal, using metal lids or paraffin.

Mexican Holiday Traditions

Legend of the Poinsettia

The legends states that there was once a young Mexican girl named Pepita who was very poor and had no gift to offer the Christ Child at Christmas Eve services. She was terribly sad as she walked to the chapel in her village.

Not knowing what else to do, she bent down by the roadside and picked some flowering weeds to take as an offering to the Nativity.

As she sauntered up to the altar, she remembered the kind words her little friend Pedro had told her, "Even the most humblest of gifts, if given in love, are acceptable in His eyes". She felt her spirits lift a little.

As she lay the bouquet of weeds down, they burst into a brilliant bloom of red. Everyone at the chapel was certain they had witnessed a Christmas miracle.

From that day on, the bright flowers were known as the "Flores de Nochebuena", the Flowers of Christmas Eve, for now they bloom each year during the Christmas season.



Las Posadas

A colorful and enjoyable Christmas tradition in the Hispanic culture: "Las Posadas". This celebration takes place from December 16th to December 24th, Christmas Eve. It is the re-enactment of the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem endured by Joseph and Mary while seeking shelter before the Christ Child was born. Posada, in Spanish, means lodging. In each one of these nights, two children, a boy and a girl, pose as Mary and Joseph. Other children act as angels and shepherds. Candles are held by each and everyone to light the way. Meanwhile parents and neighbors walk behind them as the multitude, singing and saying prayers. If the Posada is acted out in a neighborhood, a stop is made in several homes, where Mary and Joseph ask for shelter and they are turned down. At the last stop, they are welcomed, and the party begins. A piñata is provided for the children while special seasonal foods are laid out for all to enjoy. The feast usually includes tamales, capirotada, champurrado, buñuelos, and hot Mexican chocolate. Look for these recipes in the index and create your own Las Posadas Feast.

Champurrado

½ cup fresh masa (corn dough) or 1/2-cup masa flour (masa harina) mixed with a 1/4-cup hot water to blend
2 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 disk Mexican Chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons piloncillo, chopped or 1/3-cup brown sugar plus 2
teaspoons molasses
Cinnamon stick (optional)
1/4 teaspoon crushed anise seeds (optional)

Place the water and the masa into the jar of a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium sized saucepan. Add the milk, chocolate, piloncillo (or sugar, molasses combination) and the anise seeds if you wish to use them. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking with a molinillo or whisk until the chocolate and sugar is melted and well blended. Strain the mixture through a medium sieve (optional) and serve hot, in mugs.

Capirotada (de Chocolate)

8 slices of pound cake, cubed
3 eggs, beaten
1/3-cup milk
1-teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cherries or raisins
1 medium granny smith apple
1 cup Jack cheese, shredded
Chocolate Sauce*

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a glass-baking dish.

Place half the pound cake cubes into the baking dish.

Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon and brown sugar and pour half of this mixture over the top of the cake cubes in dish.

Sprinkle half pecans, cherries or raisins, apple, and cheese on top.

Add another layer of pound cake cubes followed by the egg mixture and remaining ingredients. Top with chocolate sauce.

Bake 25 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve with remaining chocolate sauce if desired.

*Chocolate Sauce:

1 cup half and half
1 stick cinnamon
½ disk Mexican Chocolate, chopped

Combine half and half and cinnamon stick in medium sauce pan and heat to scalding. Lower heat and add chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts and remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick before using.

Traditional Capirotada (Bread Pudding)

8 slices bread, toasted
3 eggs, beaten
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup toasted, slivered almonds
½ cup unsalted peanuts
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup raisins
1 medium apple, pared, cored, and thinly sliced
1 cup Jack cheese, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter a square-baking dish.Place four bread slices in pan. Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Pour half of milk, eggs, and sugar mixture on top. Sprinkle with half of remaining ingredients. Add another layer of bread and repeat as above. Top Capirotada with *Panocha Syrup and bake 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm or reheat, covered, for 15 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

*Panocha Syrup:
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick

Combine ingredients in a medium size saucepan. Bring syrup to a boil. Lower heat and simmer approximately 15 minutes until syrup is slightly thickened. Remove cinnamon stick.

Salsa

Our family uses salsa like others use ketchup. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner or just snacking, you will usually find a big bowl of salsa and tortilla chips on the table. Ninety percent of restaurants in El Paso will have the same offering of chips and salsa where in other cities you will find breadsticks.

The one person in our family whose meal is not complete without a “fresh” bowl of salsa is my brother Mando. Of course, there’s no problem there. He just makes his own. Since I’ve written about my other brother, Jose, I thought I’d give my brother Mando equal time.

My brothers are so special to me. With all of us getting on in years, I feel a need to strengthen our bond. My sadness for Gloria, when she recently lost her beloved brother, made me realize how quickly life can pass us by. We must take the time we have to acknowledge our love and caring for each other. No, we don’t always get along. We each have our own distinct personalities. But that’s what makes us special in each other’s eyes. So folks, here is my other brother, Mando. I think his bald head is so cute!

This is my brother's recipe for his salsa. I believe it was inspired by my mom's recipe, but he's managed to adapt it by adding his own flair.

Mando's Salsa

Armando (my brother), was born and raised in El Paso, in El Segundo Barrio. Graduate of "La Tech." Musician, printer, and computer technician, worked for El Paso Times and Digital Corp. for thirteen years. Now works for the Albuquerque Independent School System in their Multi-integrated Computer systems department. He is married and has ten (!!) kids. "Consejos (advice) came from my grandmother (mi Chita), my mom, and my brother. They are the ones I have to thank for the successes in life. Words of wisdom came from mi Chita; words of courage came from Mom."

Makes approximately 4 cups
2 pounds jalapeños
2 tablespoons oil
Garlic salt, to taste
½ large onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced

Rinse the jalapeños. Remove the stems. Boil in 4 quarts of water with the oil. Add garlic salt to taste. When the water starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours. Periodically check to make sure the water level in the pot remains full. Drain the chiles, reserving some of the juice, and set aside. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, mash the jalapeños with a potato masher or even a pastry cutter. Make sure all the jalapeños are completely broken up. Cool slightly. Add the onion, tomatoes, and cilantro. Add reserved chile juice to achieve desired consistency. Cover bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
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Other salsa recipes.

Tequila Salsa

This salsa can be used as a marinade on chicken and turkey as well.
½ cup olive oil
½ cup lime juice
½ cup tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec
1 can ( 4 ounces ) diced green chiles, undrained

Combine all ingredients. If using as a salsa, serve chilled. Makes 2 cups.

Salsa for a Crowd

3 cans ( 28 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 can ( 15 ounce) tomato sauce
3 medium fresh tomatoes, diced
3 bunches green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon canned, chopped jalapeños
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can ( 7 ounce) chopped green chiles
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix well and store in glass jars in refrigerator for up to a week. Makes 6 cups.

Pico de Gallo 1

4 medium tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, chopped with some of the tops
2 to 3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Blend all ingredients and stir well. Chill before serving. Makes 2 cups.

Pico de Gallo 2

8 long green chiles, roasted, peeled, deveined and chopped
2 small yellow chiles, roasted, peeled and chopped
5 green onions, chopped (including tops)
5 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons salad oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients; chill. Will keep at least 2 weeks in refrigerator. Serve with tostada chips for an appetizer. Makes 2 cups.

Pico de Gallo 3

2 tomatoes, finely chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of ½ lime
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of hot pepper sauce, optional

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and hot pepper sauce. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend together. Makes about 3 cups.

Jalapeño Salsa

4 small fresh jalapeño chiles, chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, minced
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of salt

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. This is delicious served with crackers or as a chile sauce for tacos. Also good with meat. Makes 1 cup.

Pineapple-Orange Salsa

1 orange
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
½ cup orange juice
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Grate 1 tablespoon orange peel; set aside. Peel orange and chop coarsely. Combine grated orange peel, chopped orange and remaining salsa ingredients, except cilantro, in medium bowl. Cover and Refrigerate 24 hours. Before serving, stir cilantro into salsa. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Peach Salsa

2 peaches, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons fresh jalapeños
½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup lime juice
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate several hours. Makes 1 cup.

Mango Salsa

1 mango, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons canned jalapeños, diced
½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup lime juice
1 tablespoon dried cilantro
¼ teaspoon dried cumin

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate several hours. Excellent with fish. Makes 1 cup.

Tamales - Part 2

Part 2

Fillings:

Tamales can be filled with a variety of meats such as pork, beef, or chicken. Other foodstuffs such as chiles, cheese or even beans are used. Nuevo Latino Cuisine has even featured tamales stuffed with mushrooms, seafood or a variety of vegetable fillings.

Shredded chicken, beef, or pork are traditional items, but I have known people to fill their tamales with chile strips topped with cheese such as Asadero or vegetables mixed with chile. Then of course there are the sweet tamales. These don't have a filling but the masa is prepared with cinnamon, anise, raisins and pecans. You could probably even add some chopped Mexican chocolate to these as well.

The following is a simple shredded pork recipe that is most commonly used in making tamales.

Tamales with Shredded Pork and Red Chile

4 to 5 pounds of pork roast (if boneless, 3 pounds)
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons salt

Brown pork roast in large Dutch oven in oil. Add enough water to cover the roast. Add onions, garlic, cumin, and salt. Boil till fork tender, about 2 to 3 hours. When meat is done, remove from stove and let cool.

Discard fat and bones (if any). Drain broth from meat and shred with the use of 2 forks, or by hand, when meat is cool enough. Reserve broth for use in masa preparation.

Shred meat into small strands using 2 forks. Mix meat with 2 cups of chile sauce and simmer for 20 minutes (add broth if needed).
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This filling is one I made to use up some leftover brisket I had in the fridge. I included some sliced, roasted peppers and onions to the filling also.

Tamales with BBQ-Red Chile Brisket Filling

1 10-12 pound brisket
2 cups BBQ Sauce, your favorite
1 cup beef broth
1 batch red chile sauce

Optional
Slices of red, green and yellow peppers, roasted
slices of yellow onion, roasted

Rub salt, pepper, garlic salt on brisket.Wrap tightly with aluminum foil.Place in a large roaster pan, add 2 inches of water. Cook brisket in 225 degree oven for 10 to 12 hours. Check and make sure the water level remains at 2 inches. When done, allow to cool enough to handle. Shred brisket and set aside.

Prepare 1 batch red chile sauce. Mix with 2 cups barbecue sauce and 1 cup beef broth. In large Dutch oven, combine shredded brisket with BBQ-Chile sauce and cook through. Follow Tamale making instructions using the brisket filling in place of the pork or chicken filling for a real Southwestern flavor. Filling should be enough for approximately 8 to 10 dozen tamales, depending on how much you fill each tamale.
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Sweet

1-pound masa flour
½ pound lard, whipped until fluffy
1-teaspoon baking powder
1-tablespoon salt
1-cup broth
1-cup brown sugar
1-cup raisins
1-teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
½ cup pecans
½ cup chopped Mexican chocolate, optional

Mix masa, lard, and baking powder together until a small portion (the size of a pea) floats in a glass of cold water. Fold in the rest of ingredients to dough and combine thoroughly. Place 2 tablespoons dough in middle of cornhusk, spreading towards top end and fold over bottom end. Steam tamales same as you would the hot tamales.
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I’m sure with a little imagination, you can up with a variety of fillings of your own. Next post we’ll do Masa Preparation and the Steaming of the tamales.

I meant to have this up yesterday, but Bob’s gout reappeared and we ended up going to see the doctor and getting meds and whatnot. Things are a little calmer today. Murphy’s Law! Life goes on. Hugs to all.

From Website to Cookbook to Blog

...celebrating our culture through generations.

This was the logo on the website I maintained for several years. I closed it down January 1st, of this year. A lot of hard work and a lot of fun went into this site.


Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook (Hippocrene Cookbook Library)
Click on the link above to go directly to the Amazon.com site to get a quick look inside

From this site, Bob and I created the manuscript for our cookbook, Aprovecho, A Mexican-American Border Cookook. This cookbook was done with the intention of having it passed on from generation to generation. As our world is constantly changing, it is getting harder and harder to pass on cultural traditions. This cookbook encompasses both sides of the border with stories and legends that are unique to the Southwestern region of the country. It also contains Dichos (Proverbs), a chile glossary and 250 delicious, simple and easy to follow recipes.

Food and all the aspects of food: preparation, development, the tablesetting, gatherings, family, celebrations, all these things are exciting for me. Now, with my blogs and viewing my foodie friends blogs and sharing in their creations simply elates me. My passion for all things FOOD brings a joy to my writing and cooking. I have friends online with whom I can share that joy. Of course I still need to make a living. This is why I am imposing on your generous nature and decided to spotlight my own cookbook. I hope you won't hold that against me. Oh, and did I mention that the book makes a wonderful Holiday gift for the Foodie in your life?

Now, though, I want to share with you some of the recipes that are contained in this cookbook. Over the last couple of months I've written about some of the legends and traditions that are contained in the book. I've posted some of the recipes as well. But it's now the Holiday season and in keeping with the idea of passing on cultural traditions, most of which are centered around the dining table, I thought posting some of our Holiday recipes would be in order.


The first one is Picadillo Navideño, or Christmas Picadillo.
This delicious dish is made with ground beef, beets, onions, carrots, potatoes, raisins and pecans. It's a savory yet slightly sweet dish traditionally served during the holidays.


This one is called Montezuma Casserole. This dish is made with pork roast and green poblano chile.





This third recipe is my grandmother's (Mi Chita's)Polvorones. These delightful little biscochos are coated in cinnamon sugar and are served at every holiday meal (as well as weddings, birthdays and all fiestas).

I hope I've piqued your interest in checking out the Aprovecho Cookbook. Not only is cooking, developing recipes and writing about them my passion, it is also my career.

Over the weeks to come, I will post more holiday recipes and traditions that encompass my part of the world, the desert Southwest, the Mexican-American Border. Enjoy these recipes. They come from the heart.

Picadillo Navideño

1/2 pound medium beets, chopped
3 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, chopped
3 to 4 small potatoes, cubed


1 cup rasins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cumin
salt and pepper

Cook beets in water until tender reserving the liquid. Heat oil in a skillet and saute the meat, onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Once the meat is no longer pink, add the carrots and potatoes and cook until semi done then add the beets, raisins, pecans, cinnamon and cumin. Cook for 10 more minutes. Add some of the reserved liquid if you see the dish getting too dry. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Montezuma's Casserole

1 1/2 pounds pork roast
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped
8 green poblano chiles, roasted pealed and cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 corn tortillas
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 ounces asadero cheese, grated
Lettuce and radishes for garnish (optional)

Season the pork roast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the roast on all sides. Add enough water to cover the roast and cook until done. Shred the pork once it is cooked and cool enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onion, tomatoes, chiles and garlic. Add this mixture to the shredded pork with a little water. Fry the tortillas in oil and dip in the beaten eggs. Place these tortillass in the prepared greased baking pan. Add the meat mixture and top with the grated asadero cheese. Bake until browned and thoroughly cooked, about 25 minutes. Serve with lettuce and radish slices if desired.

Mi Chita's Polvorones
(Biscochos)

2 pounds of flour
1 pound of lard
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup warm milk
Cinnamon-sugar mixture for coating

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add lard. Cut lard into flour mixture with a pastry blender (or do it the way my grandmother taught me; with your two clean hands, scoop up flour and lard and gently rub between the palms of your hands). Continue this until flour-lard mixture converts to pea-size pieces. Add warm milk. Combine until well blended. Do not knead dough for too long, as it tends to toughen the pastry - just like with pie pastry. Roll out small sections of the dough between two pieces of waxed paper. Remove top layer of waxed paper and cut dough with cookie cutters dipped in powdered sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 - 12 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Allow to cool for 6 to 8 minutes. Coat with cinnamon sugar mixture. Makes approximately 5-6 dozen small polvorones.

This is my grandmother's recipe for polvorones (biscochos). She never wrote it down, but rather taught me (show and tell) how to make them when I was 12 or 13. I in turn have taught my daughter how to make this wonderful recipe. She learned very well.

I hope you enjoy these recipes. Until next time, Aprovecho.

The Legend of the Margarita

Several posts ago, I wrote about Tequila and gave you a “pea” size history on its’ origins and manufacturing and a recipe for Tequila Muffins. What I didn’t give you were these intriguing legends that I’ve found over the years about how the “margarita” originated. I’d like to share those with you now.

So far, I have found four different versions as to how the most popular tequila drink, the Margarita, was first created. If you know of another one, or know which one is the correct story, blog me and share it with us. Here goes:

1st version: There was a wealthy caballero who was totally consumed with the beauty of a young woman named Margarita. So, he had a drink created in her honor by the local bartender. Sadly, he woke one morning to find both Margarita and his money gone. Only her garter remained. ( Sounds iffy to me.)

2nd version: A man by the name of Francisco "Pancho" Morales is credited with the creation of the Margarita. It is said he first designed the drink in 1942. Presumably he was working at a place called Tommy's Bar when a woman came in and asked for a drink he had never heard of. Not wanting her to think of him as inept (and for fear of ruining his reputation as an excellent bartender), he conjured up a drink mixture of tequila, cointreau and lime juice. The woman loved it and asked Pancho for the name of the drink. He told her it was a Margarita. Pancho died in El Paso, 1997. This one sounds quite convincing.

3rd version: The Margarita was named for Margarita Sames of San Antonio. The drink was especially created for her for a Christmas party she was hosting in Acapulco in 1948.

4th version: The Margarita was named after Margorie King, a young actress. She reportedly could not drink any alcohol except tequila. The owner of Rancho La Gloria, Danny Herrera, created the drink so that Margorie would not seem unlady-like as to drink straight tequila. This was back in the late 1930's.

Most Expensive Tequila!

Dos Lunas Grand Reserve
$2,500/750 ml bottle

The most expensive tequila comes not from Mexico, but from Texas. It is distilled by the Dos Lunas distillery. The owner, Richard Poe, always said he wanted to make the world’s best tequila and he probably has.

The tequila is made from Jalisco’s best agave and is aged for 10 years in Spanish sherry casks. This particular brand is rare and only a reported 1,000 bottles have been made. Those still not sold are kept under lock and key, very safe, very secure.

An announcement was made in August of this year stating that “Dos Lunas Tequila Celebrates Its Third Year of Being Herbicide and Pesticide-Free.” Founder and CEO Richard C. Poe II made the announcement and said, “I am proud of Dos Lunas Tequila, not only because it is all natural and chemical-free but also because it continues to be a standout in terms of flavor and taste, and is undoubtedly the smoothest tequila on the market today".

El Paso’s own, Park Kerr, author, foodie, and part owner of the El Paso Chile Company, has authored two marvelous cookbooks about the “Margarita” and Tequila. They are named; Viva Margarita and El Paso Chile Company Margarita Cookbook. Just like Mexican Chocolate, where the uses are endless and its’ origins are from Mexico, Tequila recipes abound in Parks’ cookbooks. He offers recipes for Margaritas (of course) but also recipes for desserts and savory dishes as well. I have these books and I love using them not only for special occassions but also for everyday meals that you want to make special for someone. Think about getting his books, they sure would make a great Cristmas present for someone.


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Meanwhile, I will leave you with a few (7) margarita recipes of my own that you can enjoy.

7 Margarita Recipes for YOU

Margarita
Makes 1
1 slice of lime
Course salt
½ ounce fresh limejuice
1 ½ ounces tequila
½ ounce orange flavored liqueur
2 to 4 ice cubes
Rub the inside rim of the chilled glass with the slice of lime. Pour salt into a saucer and dip the glass until a thin layer of salt adheres to the moistened rim. Combine the limejuice, tequila, orange-flavored liqueur, and ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain into the salt-rimmed glass. Makes one serving.

Margarita Sunrise
Makes 6
1 lime, cut in half
Granulated sugar
3 cups cracked ice
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 cup tequila
1 can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
Rub rims of 6 stemmed glasses with 1 lime half; dip rims of glasses into granulated sugar. Squeeze juice from both lime halves into blender. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and blend on high speed until foamy. Pour into glasses.

Jalapeño Margaritas
Makes 1
Steep jalapeño peppers in a sour mix (1 part sugar syrup and 1 part lemon juice). In a blender, mix your tequila, Triple Sec, sour mix, a dash of Tabasco Sauce. Garnish with a whole jalapeño and a slice of lime.

Chocolate Margarita
Makes 2
Chocolate Chipotle Powder, recipe follows
1½ ounces dark chocolate liqueur
1½ ounces chocolate vodka
1½ ounces tequila
1½ coffee flavor liqueur

Chocolate Chipotle Powder*
2 tablespoons Mexican Chocolate ground into powder
1-tablespoon ground chipotle powder (or red chile powder if you prefer)
Mix completely

Spread the Chocolate Chipotle Powder out on a large plate. Rim 2 (8-ounce) martini glasses by rolling the edge of each glass on a clean wet sponge, then rolling the edge over the powder. Tap the glass gently to knock off the extra powder. Pour the rest of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosty. Strain immediately into the glasses and serve.

Peach Margaritas
Makes 6
1 lime, cut in half
Granulated sugar
3 cups cracked ice
1 cup tequila
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ can (12-ounce size) frozen orchard peach juice concentrate, thawed
6 peach slices
Rub rims of 6 stemmed glasses with 1 lime half; dip rims of glasses into granulated sugar. Squeeze juice from both lime halves into blender. Add remaining ingredients except peach slices to blender. Cover and blend on high speed until foamy. Pour into glasses. Garnish with peach slices.

Lemony Margaritas
Makes 6-7
2 large lemons, cut in half
Coarse salt
2 cups cracked ice
1 ¼ cups tequila
1/3 cup triple sec
Rub rims of stemmed glasses with 1 lemon half; dip rims of glasses into coarse salt. Squeeze juice from lemon halves to measure ½ cup. Place lemon juice and remaining ingredients in blender container. Cover and blend on high speed until foamy. Pour into glasses.

Strawberry Margaritas
Makes 4
6 ounces tequila
2 ounces triple sec
8 ounces frozen strawberries
4 ounces frozen limeade concentrate
6 cups ice
Place ice in a blender and crush for 15 to 20 seconds. Add frozen strawberries, tequila, triple sec, and limeade. Blend until smooth.
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Mexican Meatball Soup / Caldo de Albondigas

MEATBALLS, GET YOUR MEATBALLS HERE! A frugal idea. Beans, rice, Mac 'n cheese, potatoes, soup. As each day goes by, the grocery bill gets higher and higher. We, as cooks and foodies worry that the day will come when we can no longer afford to feed our families properly. Go back to the basics folks. Despite my own personal afflictions, I'm still a healthy person and I grew up on beans and rice. We had a bit of meat maybe once a week if mom could afford it. There's no shame in that. I'm proud of the way my mom was able to take care of my two brothers and me as a single parent. My father passed away when I as only 3.

From the frugal lessons that I learned growing up, I've not once been unable to feed my husband and kids a wholesome meal even when times are tough. Basic foods helped us all to grow healthy and strong. Ask my 200 + pound son who I still wrestled with up to maybe 8 years ago when my Fibro really got a hold of me.

My brother Jose R. Cordero is a wonderful husband, father, musician, and teacher. He sent me this recipe a few years ago when I was putting together the Aprovecho Cookbook. I had asked several people, including my brothers, to send me recipes that reminded them of the growing up years here in El Paso. Jose smiled and said, "I know of one." Caldo de Albondigas. It was a specialty of my mother's. When she could afford it, she would make soup. Bean soup, vegetable soup, oxtail soup, chicken soup (oy!), and of course, our favorite meatball soup.

Jose lives in Mystic Connecticut. He's been there many years now. He retired from the Coast Guard where he played with the Coast Guard Congressional Band. He's played Carnegie Hall and with the Russian Symphony Orchestra. I'm very proud of him and only wish we lived a little closer so that we could see each other more often.

Thanks for letting me share a little bit about my "bro", Jose. Try out his recipe; I think you'll like it.

Mexican Meatball Soup
Caldo de Albondigas

2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
½ cup long grain rice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
½ cup finely minced onions
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
5 potatoes, cubed
1 (9 ounce) can tomato sauce
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges, tortillas, Bolillos, optional

Mix ground beef with the eggs, rice, cumin and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Shape meat mixture into 1-½ inch meatballs. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Gently place the meatballs into the boiling water. Add the onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and reduce heat to low boil for about 1 hour until vegetables are soft and rice in meatballs is tender. Serve hot garnished with cilantro, a wedge of lime, tortillas or bolillos.
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MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: WATER
My mammasita gets mad so mush and I don't even know water problem is!
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Don't forget to check out my Chocolate Blog for a great dessert idea.

16 de Septiembre

The 16th of September is one of great celebration, not only for Mejicanos, but also for those of Mexican decent everywhere. It commemorates the day Father Hidalgo climbed to the balcony of the Parish of Nuestra Senora de Los Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows) and exclaimed loudly, “Long live independence. Long live Las Americas. Death to bad government.”

This became known as the “Grito de Dolores” a call to independence from Spanish dominance. Soon after his “grito”, Father Hidalgo was captured and executed. Jose Maria Morelos, a small village priest, took up the call for independence and continued to motivate and incite the revolutionaries against the Spanish.

Independence was finally achieved in 1821 when Guadalupe Victoria, a liberal, became the first elected president of the Republic of Mexico.

Hispanics like myself celebrate this holiday as a tribute to the struggle that the revolutionary army made up of farmers, peasants, villagers and indios endured in honor of their success in achieving freedom from the Spanish crown.

You don’t have to be a terminator or super soldier to win your blessed freedom from tyranny. You just have to cherish your freedom enough to stand up for what’s right.

I would like to offer a few Mexico-inspired dishes to get your fiesta up and running. Enjoy life, celebrate your freedom and be grateful for family, friends and country.


Coctel Bandera Mejicana

1 pint Tequila
½ cup lime juice
½ cup sugar
Crushed ice
1 jicama
1 cup green seedless grapes
1 cup cherries

Mix the tequila with the lime juice and sugar. Add crushed ice and mix thoroughly. Serve in tall cocktail glasses. Skewer one green grape, one cube of jicama, and one cherry. To represent the colors of the Mexican Flag, garnish each cocktail with the skewered fruits. Makes 8 servings.

Tequila Mary

1 ½ ounces Tequila
1 cup tomato juice
1 tablespoon chopped green chile
5 - 6 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a large stemmed glass and serve with a rib of celery and a pickled jalapeño as garnish. Makes 1 serving.

Mexican-Flag Salad

2 heads of broccoli
1 large head of cauliflower
2 packages (12 ounces each) of cherry tomatoes
Pimentos
Jalapeño slivers
1 end-slice of bread

On a rectangle-shaped serving platter, arrange broccoli, cauliflower, and cherry tomatoes in equal portions starting on the left side of platter with the broccoli and ending on the right side with cherry tomatoes.
With a shape knife, cut the end-slice of bread into an eagle shape (or whatever shape you desire) and toast it in the toaster (or in the oven if you think the bread slice might break coming out of the toaster).
In the center portion, the one covered with the cauliflower, position the toasted, eagle-shaped end-slice of bread in the center. Beneath the eagle, form a ½ circle with jalapeño slivers. Decorate with pimento pieces. Position 1 jalapeño sliver by the eagle's beak to represent the snake. Chill in refrigerator till serving time.

Dip:
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
Mix these two ingredients and chill in fridge to allow flavors to mellow, 30 minutes. Add minced onion (or onion powder), chopped cilantro, chile powder, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar, all ingredients to taste. Be conservative with the amounts. You can always add more, but you can't take them out!

Pastel de 3 Leches
3 Milk Cake

CAKE:
6 large eggs, separated
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 cup all purpose flour

Milk Mixture
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ cups whole milk or cream
2 tablespoons vanilla extract or Amaretto

Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup Amaretto

Garnish (optional):Sliced fruit, such as strawberries, kiwi, start fruit, etc.

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350°. Beat 6 egg whites, baking soda, and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk 6 egg yolks. With mixer on low speed. combine yolks with egg whites. Slowly add sugar and vanilla. With a rubber spatula, fold in cooled melted butter. Sift ¼ cup of flour into mixture and fold with spatula to combine. Continue sifting and folding the flour into the batter ¼ cup at a time until it is all mixed in. Pour batter into buttered and floured 9-inch cake pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool 5 minutes on wire rack.

For the milk mixture, combine the 3 milks and vanilla about 5 minutes before the cake is donw baking. After the cake has cooled for 5 minutes, remove cake from pan and place on cake plate making sure plate has a rim so that the milk mixture does not runn off the edge. Pierce top of cake with a fork or toothpick. Pour milk mixture onto cake and allow 3 to 5 minutes for the milk to be absorbed. Once the cake has cooled completely, cover and refrigerate until serving time.

For the whipped cream, chill a bowl and beaters thoroughly. Beat the cream with a mixer until it begins to thicken. Slowly add sugar and Amaretto. Beat until stiff peaks form. When ready to serve, cut cake into serving portions and top with the shipped cream. Garnish with sliced fruit.

For the chocolate version of the 3 Leches Cake, go to my chocolate blog and enjoy a delectable style of this wonderful dessert. Aprovecho.
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Mexican word of the day: Defense
La migra chase me cause I jump defense!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Oh yeah, it’s that time of year again. Sitting in front of the screen and screaming for your favorite football team and cussing out the referee when he doesn’t make the call you expect him to make. Why aren’t there any women referees? I guess guys are afraid they’d keep the game fair. Ooooh.

Anyway, football is great to watch and great to eat by. You can chow down some store bought pizza, some heartburn hot dogs or a stale bag of popcorn. Or you can get ready for the game with some really great food to munch on. I say "munch on" because the secret to really great game food is small-size portions so that you can eat as much as you want and think you’re pigging out, but in reality it ends up being a regular size meal.

Bob helps me prepare the football feast early in the day, cause if the “Boys” are playing, I’m not about to be in the kitchen missing the game.

So, good luck with your team and have some fun. It’s that time of year when everyone’s a fan.

Here’s our Game Plan Menu:

This is so easy my daughter could make it.

Mini Jalapeño Cheeseburgers
(small yet filling, and so simple to make)













1 (10 count) package frozen biscuits
2 pounds ground meat
10 asadero slices
sliced pickeled jalapeños
salt and pepper to taste

Bake biscuits as per package directions. Slice each biscuit in half horizontally and set aside.Form 10 small hamburger patties from the ground meat. Grill patties on a stove top grill or an outdoor grill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Two minutes before removing from grill, top each patty with a slice of asadero cheese. Top the asadero with jalapeño slices.Place one patty on the bottom half of cut biscuits and replace the top. Makes 10 burgers.


Chile con Queso


½ onion, diced
6 roasted, peeled, and seeded long green chiles
2 jalapeños stemmed, seeded and diced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 can evaporated milk
10 to 12 ounces cheese (Monterrey Jack, Longhorn, or even Velveeta), shredded or chopped
1 tablespoon of bacon grease or shortening
Corn tostada chips, homemade or store bought

Sauté onions in bacon grease for about 3 minutes until translucent. Add long green chiles and jalapeños. Sauté another 5 to 6 minutes. Add chopped tomato and evaporated milk. Bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes. Turn down heat. Start adding the shredded or chopped cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted and bubbly. Serve with lots of tostadas and napkins.

Drinks
Well, here, Bobby and I have to compromise again. I don’t especially like beer, and he doesn’t have wine too often, so we have both.

He gets Corona or Dos X’s and I make a pitcher of
Manzana Cocktails. (or chocolate margaritas, whichever I’m in the mood for)

1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 bottle chilled sparkling wine, like Prosecco

Combine first 5 ingredients in a Dutch oven and blend well. Add chopped apples. Stir and cover. Over medium-low heat, simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
Allow to cool then mash apples in food processor or by hand.
Place 2 tablespoons mashed apples in bottom of tall cocktail glasses and top with sparkling wine. Makes 6 glasses. And that makes me happy.

Dessert you say? Of course. But you’ll have to go to my chocolate blog to get the recipe.
Football Mexican Chocolate Butter Cookies. Do you think the title is long enough, or should I make it longer? :) This is a recipe my mom gave me long ago.

Whatever team you’re rooting for, remember it’s just a game. Have fun and take advantage of the time you can share with your family. Hasta luego mis amigos/amigas.
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Mexican word of the day: Budweiser
Your chica is so fine, budweiser face so ugly?
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Enchilada Dinner, Quick and Easy

It’s a holiday weekend, and I’m taking a holiday from standing around too long in the kitchen preparing dinner. Here is an easy (and cheaters) way to prepare Enchiladas for my honey and daughter. Of course my daughter won’t eat until “later, mom” because she’s got places to go and people to see. Ah, to be so young and so energetic. But, we’ve all been there and done that. It’s time to relax and enjoy. So make dinner easy on yourself, but still make it sensational.

I prepared two kinds of enchiladas (I guess just to ease my guilty conscience). I did it the “Sandra Lee” way, the Semi-Homemade way. I used the Old El Paso brand of enchilada sauce instead of making my own. The last chile colorado (red chile sauce) I had in the freezer went to making the Chile Colorado Stew a couple of weeks ago. But my enchiladas were still good. I like the Old El Paso brand. NO, I’m not getting paid to say that. There are some of their products I would not use, like the dinner taco kit or their beans. But their enchilada sauce is acceptable, besides it’s named after my city. What can I say? General Mills has good taste in picking brand names. So, I hope you guys have a wonderful 3-day weekend. Stay safe and enjoy life.

Red Picadillo Enchiladas

1-pound ground beef
½ onion, chopped small
1 large tomato, diced
1 dozen corn tortillas
1 can (10 ounces) Hot Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce
1-teaspoon cumin powder
1 package (8 ounce) shredded cheddar cheese
Oil for frying

In a teaspoon of oil, sauté your onion and tomato. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
Warm up your enchilada sauce in a large skillet. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin to give it a slight smoky taste. Keep temperature on low.
In a separate smaller skillet, eat 2 tablespoons of oil. Get this hot but not smoking. Dip individual corn tortillas for 1 – 2 seconds and flip over. This will soften the tortillas and make it ready for the sauce. Immediately dip softened tortilla into the enchilada sauce and remove to a plate.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of prepared picadillo (cooked ground meat mixture) onto center of tortilla. Sprinkle some cheese on top and roll your enchilada. Place on a cookie sheet.
Continue until all 12 are done.
Pour remaining sauce over prepared enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheddar over the top of enchiladas and bake for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Serve warm.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2 large cups cooked, shredded chicken. White meat or dark, your choice.
½ onion, minced
1 dozen corn tortillas
1 can Old El Paso Green Enchilada Sauce
1 package (8 ounce) shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
Oil for frying

Follow the directions as for the red enchiladas. Soften tortillas in hot oil, dip in sauce, spread with chicken, top with a few sprinkles of cheese and minced onion, roll and place on cookie sheet.
Pour remaining sauce on the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 15 minutes in 350-degree oven. Serve warm.

Now make some Spanish rice and a simple salad of iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes and sliced avocados and sit down at the table to eat with your family.

Now comes the easy part, let your better half clean up the kitchen. LOL.

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Mexican word of the day is: MUSHROOM
Orale vato, when me and my whole family get in the car, there's not too MUSHROOM.

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Please check out my new chocolate blog: Mexican Chocolate Lore and More. Let me know what you think about it and how I can make it even better for you. Muchas gracias mis amigos y amigas.

Fajitas

What are fajitas? Fajitas are strips of meat or chicken that started out being marinaded in lime juice and spices and then grilled to a medium rare perfection. Along with the chicken or beef, onion and peppers are grilled alongside to give the grilled meat it's exceptional flavor.

The fajitas are served with warm flour or corn tortillas, sour cream, salsa such as pico de gallo, and guacamole. It's a wonderful weekend meal prepared over the outdoor grill. Of course if it's raining or storming, grill the beef or chicken indoors over a grill pan. I love my grill pan. You can cook any cut of meat or chicken and attain the same beautiful grill marks made on your charcoal grill. So go ahead, marinade a couple of chicken breasts and a piece of skirt steak, or flank if you prefer. Make some guacamole, pico de gallo, and caramelize some onion slices. Grab a Corona beer, sit back and enjoy.

Tequila-Lime Marinated Fajitas

1 pound chicken breast
1 pound beef skirt (or flank)

Marinade
½ cup lime juice
½ cup tequila
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeños, seeds removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons oil, separated

Combine marinade ingredients and mix well. Place the meat into one 1-gallon size zip lock bag and the chicken into another. Pour half of the marinade into each bag. Squeezing out the air, zip each bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Use remaining oil to oil the grates of your barbecue grill. Get grill HOT. Grill quickly to a medium rare. Slice cuts of meat into thin strips and serve immediately.

If you are cooking up the fajitas indoors, cut the chicken breasts and skirt steak into thin strips before adding to a heated grill pan.

Heat large skillet (preferably cast iron) with 1 tablespoon oil. Cook meats (one at a time) discarding marinade. Cook 8 to 10 minutes for beef and 5 to 8 minutes for chicken.Serve hot with warm flour tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and grilled onions. Serves approximately 4.

Aprovecho queridos amigos.

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Mexican Word of the Day: Chicken
My wife wanted me to go to the store, pero chicken go herself.
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Please check out my new chocolate blog: Mexican Chocolate Lore and More. Let me know what you think about it and how I can make it even better for you. Muchas gracias mis amigos y amigas.

Piloncillo, Mexican Brown Sugar

Piloncillo is a block or cone shaped piece of unrefined sugar used in Mexico. It has been around for hundreds of years and is found in many recipes. One of these recipes is Capirotada, a traditional bread pudding made around the hoidays. The piloncillo is used for making the syrup, panocha syrup, that is drizzled over the bread pudding. It is also used in preparing Cafe de Olla, Mexican coffee. In this recipe, the piloncillo is mixed in with dark roasted coffee, cinammon, and maybe some anise seeds.

Piloncillo has a very high molasses content, therefore the color varies from light to dark brown. To produce it, sugar cane is crushed and the liquid boiled and poured into molds. These molds are either block shape or cone shape. When it dries, the cones are packaged and sold as Piloncillo. These are hard molds of sugar. To use it, you must either chisel it or grate it. But the taste is divine.

I woke up with a craving for Piloncillo bread that I used to buy at the Bowie Bakery, El Paso's finest in Mexican pastries. But alas, I couldn't get down there. But I did have some piloncillo on hand and decided to incorporate it into some brown sugar pound cake. Well, I just made myself a cup of coffee and sliced off a big old chunk of my Piloncillo bread. Life is good.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

(Inspired by Martha Stewart recipes)

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cone piloncillo, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Prepare 2 (8 x 4 inch) loaf pans by greasing and flouring.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time until well combined. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to butter/sugar/eggs mixture. Combine well. Fold in piloncillo pieces. Pour into two prepared pans. Bake for about an hour. Cool 10 minutes then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

I drizzled mine with a little powdered sugar/ milk combination. But you can leave yours plain if you like. Now make yourself a cup of coffe and enjoy.

Please check out my new chocolate blog: Mexican Chocolate Lore and More. Let me know what you think about it and how I can make it even better for you. Muchas gracias mis amigos y amigas.

Beer Braised Beef Ribs

It’s Wednesday and already it’s been one heck of a week. A couple of weeks ago I decided to start an additional blog, one about another one of my passions – Mexican Chocolate. I had a list of objectives I was determined to accomplish by certain deadlines (set my me) and get the blog online by last weekend. Well, as we all know, we can set all the deadlines we want, but if life has a different deadline for you, life’s going to win out.

My beloved husband Bob, had a carcinoma detected on a recent visit to the doctor and was told it had to come out. They said it was no big deal. So we made the appointment and he took a weeks vacation time so he could recoup. He had surgery last Tuesday. Came out of the doctor’s office with this huge bandage on his face. After having the doctor go in to the area twice to make sure that he’d gotten it all, Bob was told he could go home and rest. He was also told he could go into work the next day.

Well we got home and he started bleeding all over the place. Got that stopped. Being a manly man, he went into work the next day and was back home by 10 am. He rested and his face puffed up like a balloon! We called the doctor and we were told, oh it’s OK. It’s common. It might be common, but we hadn’t been told. Anyway, Bob had his stitches taken out yesterday – on his birthday. What a day. He’s been napping and feeling a little better everyday. So I thought I’d make him one of his favorites, Beer Braised Beef Ribs. I’ll work on my chocolate blog later this afternoon and let you know when it’s up and running so you can come and visit. Thanks for putting up with the rant, but I guess it comes with the territory of being a foodie buddy.

Beer Braised Beef Ribs
Makes 6 servings

5 pounds boneless beef ribs
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large onions, cut into rings
2 cups sliced carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 or 2 cups of your favorite beer
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon of your favorite mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper ribs, and preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown the ribs on all sides, turning 7 to 10 minutes. Depending on how many ribs you're cooking, you may have to do this a few times to brown all the ribs. Place browned ribs in an oven-safe casserole dish.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon fat to skillet if needed. Sauté the onions until browned, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Add the carrot slices and sauté another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Pour in the beer, tomatoes and mustard. Increase heat to high
and simmer for 1 minute. Pour the tomato mixture over the short ribs and mix thoroughly.

Cover the ribs and bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours until meat is very tender, but turn the ribs every 45 minutes while they are baking. Add water if needed. When desired doneness is achieved, remove and serve.

Nopalito Casserole

What can you do with a cactus?
This is a prickly pear cactus casserole. It's delicious and certainly a favorite with the Mexican-American Border cuisine scene. Cuisine-scene, I like that. Nopales can be found pre-cooked so you won't have to go to all the trouble of carefully trimming the prickly spines and cooking the paddles, as they're called. In Spanish they are called or referred to as Tunas . Also, if you overcook them, they do tend to get slimy, you don't want that. Some people, like myself, love the occasional nopalitos dish but can't tolerate the sliminess. Otherwise the taste is unique. Who says you have to have Green Bean Casserole every Thanksgiving? If you would like to learn more about Nopales, go tho this Gourmet Sleuth site to read about them.

Nopalito Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 cups (2 jars) cooked nopalitos
¾ cup milk (to thin soup)
1 1/3 cups crushed chicharrones (fried pork skins)
Salt, pepper, paprika

Mix soup and milk in a 1½ quart casserole dish. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Stir in cooked nopalitos and 2/3 cup of crushed chicharrones. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes. Top with remaining chicharrones and continue baking for 5 more minutes. Serves 6.
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Mexican Word of the Day: Bishop
One day me and my vieja went to the movies and
She fell down and I had to pick the bish-op!

Strawberry Tequila Rose Bundt Cake

This cake is delicious. It's not just a regular run of the mill bundt cake, it's made with Strawberry Fanta soda and Tequila Rose. The flavors jump out at you and your mouth starts doing back flips of joy. I am submitting this cake to Ben's "I Love Baking Event" on his What's Cooking blog site.

I hope you will vote for me and if you would like to enter Ben's twice monthly event go to his blog site and sign up. It's alot of fun. Now for the recipe.




Strawberry Tequila Rose Bundt Cake

1 French Vanilla cake mix in a box
1 (3.4 ounce) box of French vanilla instant pudding
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup liquid ( I used 1/2 cup Fanta Strawberry soda and 1/2 cup Tequila Rose)chocolate covered strawberries (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, oil, and liquid.
Mix on low speed for 1 minute. On medium speed, mix for 2 minutes.

Spray your bundt pan with non-stick spray, making sure you get into every nook and cranny, especially if you use a rose bundt pan like I did.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes and invert cake onto cake plate. Drizzle with Strawberry Glaze.

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Tequila Rose
1/4 cup FANTA Strawberry soda

Mix until smooth and of drizzling consistency. If the glaze is not smooth enough to drizzle, add more soda, a teaspoon at a time.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries:
1 pint strawberry basket
1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening

Wash and pat dry strawberries. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
In microwavable bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir until completely smooth. Allow to cool 5 minutes.

Dip strawberries in chocolate and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

Our Weekend Fiesta

Hi there. I love being part of the foodie blogroll. You guys are so professional and consistent with doing your posts. I'm usually a day late and a dollar short, so to speak. The Leftover Queen Forum could easily be turned into an exceptional online food magazine of great caliber. If you take a stroll through the different blog sites, you will see photographs of incredible quality. Recipe preparations that were artfully and creatively displayed. I'm quite proud to be a member of such an elite group. So to all you food bloggers out there, I raise a toast, un brindis, to a group of people in a beautiful world of their own creation.

My contribution for this week is sharing a small weekend fiesta. Hope you like these simple recipes that were prepared with loads of love for my family.

Sandia Sangria
Makes 6 to 8 glasses

1 cup chopped watermelon, pureed
2 bottles of prepared Sangria wine
Ice
8 watermelon wedges, rind removed

Place 2 cups of ice into a pitcher. Add the watermelon puree and the Sangria wine. Mix until well combined. Chill at least two hours. Serve in wine glasses over ice and a wedge of watermelon.

Watermelon and Asardero Skewers
Makes 8

4 cups watermelon, cut in 1 inch cubes
4 cups asadero, cut into 1 inch cubes
8 wooden skewers
Kosher salt

Alternate watermelon pieces with cubed asadero on wooden skewer. Chill until ready to serve. Right before serving, sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Pico de Gallo and Guacamole Crostini

1 French bread baguette
Olive oil
Guacamole
Pico de Gallo

Slice French bread on a slight diagonal, 1 to 1-1/2 inch in thickness. Brush lightly with olive oil. Broil in oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and allow to cool a bit. Serve on a platter with guacamole and pico de gallo.

Flank Roll with Stuffing
8 to 10 servings

1 (2 pound) flank steak
1 package stove top stuffing mix (I used cornbread stuffing for this recipe)
1 cup cooked sausage
1 small white onion, minced and sauted in oil until soft
1/2 cup chopped green chile
Salt and pepper

Prepare stove top stuffing as per package directions. Mix in cooked sausage, onion, and green chile. Flatten flank steak on baking pan. Spinkle with salt and pepper. Spread prepared stuffing mix to 1/2 inch from edges of flank steak. Carefully roll flank, starting on long side of steak, jelly roll style. Secure with toothpicks. Turn roll over so that toothpicks are on the bottom. Sprinkle roll with additional salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest, covered with foil, for 15 minutes. Slice in 1/2 inch slices and serve warm.

Wine Marinated Fruit Salad

1 medium seedless watermelon
1 cup cantelope melon balls
1 cup honeydew melon balls
1 cup green seedless grapes
1 cup quatered strawberries
1 tablespoon minced mint leaves

1 1/2 cups white wine
1/3 cup sugar

Over low heat, dissolve sugar in white wine. Set aside to cool. Cut watermelon in half lengthwise. Scallop the edges of one of the halves to make it look pretty. Using a melon baller, make watermelon balls from pulp. Comine watermelon, cantelope, honeydew, grapes and straberries carefully to keep from breaking the pieces. Drizzle with cooled wine syrup and sprinkle with mint. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
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Mexican Word of the Day: Tissue
Hey vato if you don't know how to do it, let me - tiss-ue!

Copitas: Little Cups

Copitas are my version of Gorditas. Ah, gorditas. I remember when we were haggling with our editor during the prep time before our cookbook came out. She (no, not you Priti, your predecessor) wanted all recipe titles translated literally into English. OMG. So how do you translate Gorditas – “Little Fat Girls”? My husband and I still laugh about that one. Once we told her, she made the decision to call them “Fried Masa Pockets”. We left it at that. I suppose we will always encounter people that cannot accept that there are some things like words, customs, and traditions that cannot be translated or explained from one culture to another. We must simply accept, respect and appreciate our differences.

Anyway, I wanted to share this recipe with you and hope you enjoy it.

Copitas

8 -10 tablespoons masa harina
3 tablespoons flour
Pinch of baking soda
1-cup warm water
shortening for frying

Mix the masa harina with the flour and baking soda in a bowl. Add enough warm water (slowly) to make a firm but moist dough. You might not need the whole cup of water. Pinch off a heaping tablespoon of dough. Flatten dough and carefully bend the edges upwards to form a small cup, "copita".

Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Heat the shortening in a deep frying pan to medium-high heat. Add a batch of the copitas to the frying pan and spoon the hot shortening to the tops of the copitas. Flip the copitas over once to ensure even browning.

This process goes very quickly. Be careful not to fry too long or copas will burn. Remove from hot pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Makes about 1 dozen.

Fill with your favorite filling: chile verde, mole, beans and chorizo, whatever you and your family enjoy. Mine were filled with shredded pork and topped with tomatoes, jalapeños, and queso fresco.


Thought it was time to let you guys know what Bob and I look like, so I’m attaching this picture of us. Don’t laugh too hard now. Remember, we all get old! For me, 58 and counting (my blessings).
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Mexican Word of the Day: Wheelchair
My homie was downing a 40 and I said, hey where's mine?
He says don't worry, wheel-chair!